Stolen From Her
by LyraStar26
Summary: Jesse Katsopolis never thought he'd be living at the Tanner household for more than a couple months let alone six years to help raise his three nieces. He loved them just as much as he loved his own kids. Jesse is confronted with one of the biggest problems he's ever had to face in his life when his young niece, Stephanie becomes victim of a horrible attack on her innocence.
1. Chapter 1

My name is America and I grew up watching Full House and it's been one of my favorite show for years. This is my first submission of personal writing and I hope it is something that people can enjoy. These characters are great and I'm fond of all of them. The show did a great job of covering a lot of issues for the time that it aired on TV. I want to take that even farther as I borrow these characters and portray them in situations that I would've liked to see them face.

There are mentions and recollection of rape and memories. If you are triggered, please do not read.

I don't own Full House in any way.

 _Chapter 1_

A warm ray of sunshine filled the attic with warm as Jesse Katsopolis was already awake and bustling about on a busy Friday morning. His twin sons, Nicky and Alex were already at preschool and his wife, Becky was on her way to work with his brother in law, Danny Tanner. Today he was scheduled to pack lunches and see his nieces off to school. His oldest niece D.J. was in high school and he couldn't believe how grown up she had become in the time he lived here. He saw her face a lot of tough decisions and she was turning into an amazing young woman as she finishes a part of her life that he never finished when she graduates high school at the end of the year.

Michelle was his younger niece and she was a one of a kind, young girl. She had the funny personality and a big drive to succeed. His middle niece however had a special place in his heart that he couldn't explain to anyone, so he kept it to himself. Stephanie was his little girl that he loved in ways that he didn't know he could love a person. He loved all his nieces, he's not a liar when he tells it to himself because he did. She had the biggest heart he'd ever seen and was one of the smartest kids he'd ever known. There wasn't anything that she could do that would make him mad. Their relationship was special, he always knew when something was wrong. He could tell by her ministrations and the look on her face. She was a very passionate person and did everything with enthusiasm. He thought she was something beyond her young age with her positive outlook on life. She always saw the good in people and was never hesitant to help someone in need.

It was a little after 8 o'clock in the morning, he and Joey were scheduled to do their afternoon radio show at noon. He was going to spend the time until then preparing. He got the papers he needed and headed down the stairs to the basement where his studio was. As he got to the bottom of the attic stairs that lead to the hallway of the middle floor, he saw a figure out of his peripheral vision. A very familiar figure that was of middle height with blonde, straight hair. He frowned as he questioned why his middle niece was cutting school.

Jesse didn't hesitate to walk directly into the room and Stephanie was there and she was completely caught off guard with her surprised yet guilty expression on her face. She was in the middle of taking off her backpack and she quickly put it back on her shoulder to make it look as if she was going to leave.

"Oh, hey Uncle Jesse! I just forgot something, but I have to head to school now," she said enthusiastically as she quickly got off her bed to try and make her way past him. Jesse chuckled to himself as he was quick to catch her arm as she tried to breeze past him in a way.

"Nice try Steph," he said as he gently pulled her back so she was standing in front of him. As she stood in front of him with an expressionless face Jesse started to get worried. "I saw you off to school. What are you doing here?"

Stephanie looked down at the floor contemplating on what to say because she knew her uncle could always see right through her lies. She started to panic, and her breathing increased as a twisted feeling began to build in the pit of her stomach.

Jesse was quick to notice the change in his niece. He took her shoulders in his hands as he was about to bend down to look into her eyes, but she was very quick to flinch away from his touch. This was very surprising, and Jesse couldn't help but feel a twinge of hurt because Stephanie never pulled away from him. Something was wrong with his niece.

"Stephanie, what is going on?" Jesse asked concerned as he straightened up to give her space. Stephanie looked up and she looked as if she were a dear caught in headlights. Her eyes darted back and forth with worry and she didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to talk about what happened. Tears began to cloud her eyes and her breathing became more erratic. This struck something inside Jesse as Stephanie began to cry. He felt like he was frozen to the spot he was standing in because she already flinched from his touch before. All he wanted to do was take his little girl in his arms and help her in any way he could.

Jesse was quick to act because he wasn't a stranger to panic attacks or break downs. "Steph take a deep breath with me. You need to control your breathing," he said gently in a comforting voice. He saw her look up and he led her in taking a deep breath and she imitated him. Her tears started to fall down her face as she started to cry. Jesse felt so helpless in this situation because he didn't want to touch her if she didn't want him too. At the same time his instincts told him to take her in his arms.

"Sweetie, please let me hold you?" he asked with a strain in his voice. Stephanie felt her heart twinge because all she wanted was to be in her uncle's safe arms. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, but she couldn't ignore that frightened feeling she felt at the bottom of her stomach. The desire to be comforted by her uncle won as she looked up and pushed herself into her uncle's arms.

Jesse was surprised, but none the less was ready to catch his niece in his arms. He sighed in relief as she cried her heart out against him. He stroked her soft, blonde hair as he wrapped his other arm tight around her.

"It's okay, sweetie," he said without trying to sound worried as he pressed a kiss to her head. Sobs racked against his body and he wanted, no needed to know what was causing his niece so much pain. His attention came to her bed as he concluded that this episode was most likely going to make her tired. Since it was her who made the move to come to him, he felt confident that she would be okay if he picked her up. He slowly made the move to bend and wrap his arms under her knees. She got the motion and wrapped her arms around his neck. Once she was safely in his arms, he held her close to him as he began to make his way to her bed she protested, "No, I need you."

Jesse knew what she meant, Stephanie would often retreat to his room and his bed when she was scared from a bad dream, upset, or angry. It happened more often when she was younger when he resided in the room across the hall. It had been awhile since she's needed him and it would be the first time, he took her upstairs to his and Becky's apartment. He kissed her head again in reassurance to show her he knew what she needed, and he turned to make his way out of her room.

Jesse carried his niece with ease up the stairs to the attic. She was still crying heavily against him and Jesse was anxious to get her settled on his bed so he could finally get to the bottom of what was going on.

Once upstairs Jesse made his way straight to the queen-sized bed on the other side of the loft. His bed was made already but Jesse managed to pull the blankets back, so he could gently place her there. Stephanie was quick to move more towards the middle of the bed and he knew the space was for him. He went to lay down in the vacated spot and he settled on his back as he brought his arm up over her head. He knew she was going to lay against him.

She settled in as she laid her head against his chest and by this point her sobs were beginning to subside and he knew she was settling down. Jesse wrapped his arms around in her in comfort and waited for her to drift off to sleep. Crying always made Stephanie tired and she always fell asleep for a while after he calmed her down. He began stroke her hair to help soothe her to sleep because he wanted her to be able to sleep without the anxiety that was heavily upon her. He settled in to wait until she woke up.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter _2_

Jesse Katsopolis debated on how long he should let his niece sleep for after the breakdown she had. He felt as if something was gnawing at his insides as an unsettling feeling pulsated throughout his whole body. What could be wrong with his niece that she'd feel the need to skip school and then lie about where she would've been all day? It made him angry because Stephanie never lied to him. At the same time, he felt guilty for getting angry in the first place. This isn't the time to be angry with his niece if he needed him right now. He looked down at her and she finally looked settled and somewhat peaceful with her eyes closed and her shallow breathing. She still looked like his little girl while she slept. The little the girl that could make him do anything, such as play ballerina. They were far from that now. Stephanie didn't play ballerina anymore or dance recreationally for that matter. She hasn't performed in a long time. Not since she entered junior high and turned thirteen which was one of the most important ages in a young girl's life.

She was so fragile, and he had already had her heart broken by that football player he always had a bad feeling about. If it were up to him that kid would never see or speak to his niece ever again. The idea of Stephanie dating had him worried out of his mind. Mainly because he knew how boys that age acted. He was young himself and got around when it came to women. He never wanted Stephanie to be treated in some of the ways he regrettably treated past girlfriends. His niece deserved be treated in the same way he treated his beautiful wife, Rebecca. Although, he had a lot of regrets about how some of his past relationships turned out. He was grateful that he was going to spend the rest of his life treating Becky how every woman should be treated.

Jesse felt his niece's smaller body shift against him and he looked down at her. Her hazel eyes were lidded with fatigue and were still a bit red from her breakdown. She looked up at her uncle, but she didn't smile. Stephanie then, took a second to take in her surroundings and she automatically felt safe. She felt safe in her uncle's arms which was one of the safest places she knew she could be. Looking back at her uncle's concerned face, she knew she was going to have to tell him what was going on and she didn't know how.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Jesse asked softly as he touched his hand to her face. His thumb stroked across her cheek as she closed her eyes from the difficulty to speak. She took a shaky breath in and let it out, but it did nothing to quell her nerves.

"No," was all she managed to get out as tears threatened to fall from her eyes again. She couldn't cry again. She had been crying for the past week wherever she could be alone because she didn't know what else to do; or how to even talk about what happened to her.

Jesse placed his hand firmly on her back as he sat up on the bed and into a sitting position bringing her with him. He pulled up the plush comforter and wrapped it around his niece knowing that weight from the blanket would help calm her anxiety. It seemed to have the faintest reaction from her he had ever gotten. Jesse knew how to help her feel better and now the things that usually help weren't working.

"What's going on Steph?" Jesse asked trying to keep his frustration in check. He really wanted to ask her why she skipped school? Why was she lying to him? Why had she not been herself for the past two weeks? Jesse knew better than to ask everything at once, Stephanie would only close up and not speak at all. He couldn't have that.

Stephanie wrapped the blanket tighter around her body as if she were protecting herself from something. Her face showed pain when she spoke, "Something happened." Jesse tried to calm his breathing as he waited for her to continue. He thought his heart was going to bust through his chest if she didn't start explaining soon.

"Something happened at the Welcome Back Dance," she said hesitantly.

Jesse mind jumped to a thousand different scenarios all having to do with some boy hurting her. He forced himself to take a deep, calming breath because he had to be strong for his niece. She could tell him any problem she could have, and he'd fix it. Jessie cleared his throat before asking, "What happened, sweetie?"

Stephanie continued to look down at the patterns on the blanket as she tried to gather words that would make sense. Tears began to flood her eyes as she pictured what happened to her. She could feel his hands all over her body and she flinched in remembrance. Her face hurt from where it had been pressed against the cold, hard floor of the girl's bathroom. That was a room that Stephanie shouldn't be afraid of and now she couldn't even think about going into. She couldn't bear the thought of having to go to school and face him. She looked down at her arms that she had been covering with long sleeves because of the bruises that littered her skin. She could feel him as he had forcefully pinned her hands behind her back. She couldn't move, and she couldn't scream.

Worst of all, she couldn't rid the feeling of the blade that had been pinned against her side that had been ready to pierce her if she even thought about screaming. In that moment as everything slowed and her vision clouded with unshed tears as she thought of her family; her sisters, her dad, her aunt and uncle, Joey, and her _mom._ She didn't make a sound for her family. She wanted more than anything for it to be over, so she can run as fast as she ever ran before. She wanted to run to someone who made her feel safe and she felt that with her uncle Jesse, which is why it was hard to describe what happened that night. She felt safe here with her uncle and that made her want to forget everything about that night.


End file.
